Randy Neugebauer slams memorial ranger

With tensions growing over the shutdown, a Texas lawmaker confronted a park ranger outside the National World War II Memorial, saying National Park Service “should be ashamed” for putting up barricades, preventing veterans from entering.

“How do you look at at them and say— how do you deny them access? I don’t get that,” Rep. Randy Neugebauer (R-Texas) asked the ranger, in footage filmed by NBC Washington on Wednesday.

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“It’s difficult,” she replied.

“Well, it should be difficult,” Neugebauer said.

“It is difficult, I’m sorry sir,” the ranger said.

Neugebauer was part of a large group of lawmakers and civilians that gathered at the memorial on Wednesday after reports Tuesday that the site had been barricaded as a result of the shutdown. As he continued to address the ranger, he pushed further, attacking NPS, which oversees access to the memorial sites.

“Park Service should be ashamed of themselves.”

“I’m not ashamed,” the ranger replied.

“Well, you should be,” the lawmaker said before walking away and being confronted by a bystander in the area.

The bystander at the site said he, too, was a federal employee who was out of work, and the park ranger was “doing her job.” Neugebauer put blame on Sen. Harry Reid (D-Nev.) for the unemployment.

“Well, the reason you are is because Mr. Reid decided to shut down the government,” Neugebauer told the man.

“No, it’s because the government won’t do its job and pass a budget,” the bicyclist responded.